Scope help please !!! long sorry

dieseldr99

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Nov 12, 2008
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Location
Sapulpa Oklahoma
I have on order a rock river arms varmint a4 in .223. I am looking to use it for varmint hunting, predator hunting, and punching paper. I am not necessarily an accomplished long range shooter, but I am very interested in it. I need some scope help. Initially I felt like I should keep the low end of the magnification at 4 for a close moving target. But I am considering a scope and a reflex dot mounted on the ff tube.

I have basically an $1100.00 budget and i would like that to include a mount. I can keep saving if I have to but would like to move on to other projects.

1st I was thinking Bushnell elite 6500 4.5-30x50 tactical mil-dot because of the magnification range. But I have read several accounts that they are not very clear in the upper end of the magnification and have parallax issues around 300 yards

2nd I have strongly considered the Zeiss conquest 4.5-14x50 originally mil-dot with target turrets. However I really like the zr800 reticle but I can not find it with turrets all other reticle I can find with turrets. I feel I want turrets. the zr1000 does not match 223 very well so I guess it is mil-dot?

3rd Bushnell elite 3200 5-15x40 tactical mil-dot and putting the extra cash toward a range finder budget

4th stretch the budget and get my hands on a used 3.5-15-56 nightforce nxs

with so many choices out the any help is appreciated
Thanks
Justin
 
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If you go with a Zeiss (which I'd recommend), you'll probably be best off with the Rapid Z Varmint reticle. The various Rapid Z reticles are engineered to work optimally with specific calibers and the RZ Varmint reticle matches ballistics for the .223.

Since the Rapid Z reticles are "holdover" reticles, target turrets are really a non-issue. Once you sight in your particular load using Zeiss's Ballistic Calculator (link is on Zeiss's reticle page), there's really no further dialing required until you change loads.

I have the Rapid Z 1000 reticle on my scope and it does have the big ol' target turrets but I really think Zeiss includes them for aesthetics more than anything. It's a great scope.
 
The NF you mention new is $1483, I would think with $1100 your within striking distance of a used one.
 
I also recommend the Zeiss. I have several Conquests and I love them. If you use any of the ballistic plex reticles the Zeiss web site has a pretty good set-up to help you calculate everything for use with it. my $.02
 
Wow I have never changed my mind so many times on a piece of equipment.
I have decided I really want a nightforce so I am gonna have to work on the budget. Now I am flipping back and forth between the 5.5-22x56 and the 3.5-15x56, I tend to always want more magnification. whether I need it or not I am unsure. If I go with the 5.5 I will more strongly feel the need for a reflex site as well. I am thinking of going with a larue tactical mount. I can get an adapter to put a burris fast fire on one of the rings for like 70 bucks plus 200 for the fastfire putting the entire budget if i buy new over 2k in (2100 or so) I am along way from that but I can get there. (sorry this is getting long again).
With the 3.5-15 I would probably not need the fastfire, heck I may not need it with the 5.5 but would like it.
I want to shoot crows with this gun from as far away as I can get my ability up to. probably not over 300-400 yards due to finding large enough openings to hunt.
I want to hunt other varmints and vermin as well including coyote. But I do have another ar already that is lighter and has a 4-12 on it.

Please feel free to chime in
Thanks
Justin
 
Justin, my eyes aren't what they used to be so generally I like to go with the higher X however, if you have pretty good vision then I think for the distances your talking about a 3.5-15x should work well for you.
 
Right after the Shot Show, accurateshooter.com reported that sometime in May, NF would bring out new models and all prices would go up. You might want to opt for a used NF. I agree a variable is what you need; you can always move magnification up for close spotting or down for wider FOV.
 
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